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Eric Bana

Eric Bana

Eric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper (2000). After a decade of roles in Australian TV shows and films, Bana gained Hollywood's attention by playing the role of American Delta Force Sergeant Norm "Hoot" Hooten in Black Hawk Down (2001), the lead role as Bruce Banner in the Ang Lee directed film Hulk (2003), Prince Hector in the movie Troy (2004), the lead in Steven Spielberg's Munich (2005), and the villain Nero in the science-fiction film Star Trek (2009). An accomplished dramatic actor and comedian, he received Australia's highest film and television awards for his performances in Chopper, Full Frontal and Romulus, My Father. Bana performs predominantly in leading roles in a variety of low-budget and major studio films, ranging from romantic comedies and drama to science fiction and action thrillers. Eric Bana was the younger of two children; he has a brother, Anthony. He is of Croatian ancestry on his father's side. Bana's paternal grandfather, Mate Banadinović, fled to Argentina after the Second World War, and Bana's paternal grandmother emigrated to Germany and then to Australia in the 1950s with her son, Ivan (Bana's father). His father was a logistics manager for Caterpillar, Inc., and his German-born mother, Eleanor, was a hairdresser. Bana grew up in Melbourne's Tullamarine, a suburban area on the western edge of the city, near the main airport. In a cover story for The Mail on Sunday, he told author Antonella Gambotto-Burke that his family had suffered from racist taunts, and that it had distressed him. "Wog is such a terrible word," he said. He has stated: "I have always been proud of my origin, which had a big influence on my upbringing. I have always been in the company of people of European origin". Showing acting skill early in life, Bana began doing impressions of family members at the age of six or seven, first mimicking his grandfather's walk, voice and mannerisms. In school, he mimicked his teachers as a means to get out of trouble. As a teen, he watched the Mel Gibson film Mad Max (1979), and decided he wanted to become an actor. However, he did not seriously consider a career in the performing arts until 1991 when he was persuaded to try stand-up comedy while working as a barman at Melbourne's Castle Hotel. His stand-up gigs in inner-city pubs did not provide him with enough income to support himself, so he continued his work as a barman and bussing tables.

Personal information

Birthday

1968-08-09

Birth Place

Melbourne, Australia

Movies and TV shows :

A Sacrifice

A Sacrifice

2024

5.3

Movie
poster

All Saints

1998

6.2

TV
Back to the Outback

Back to the Outback

2021

7.7

Movie
Being James Bond

Being James Bond

2021

7.8

Movie
Black Hawk Down

Black Hawk Down

2001

7.4

Movie
Blueback

Blueback

2022

6.7

Movie
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

2022

7.0

Movie
Chopper

Chopper

2000

6.7

Movie
Closed Circuit

Closed Circuit

2013

5.9

Movie
Deadfall

Deadfall

2012

6.0

Movie
Deliver Us from Evil

Deliver Us from Evil

2014

6.2

Movie
poster

Dirty John

2018

6.8

TV
Envoy: Shark Cull

Envoy: Shark Cull

2021

7.3

Movie
Finding Nemo

Finding Nemo

2003

7.8

Movie
Finke: There & Back

Finke: There & Back

2018

8.0

Movie
Force of Nature: The Dry 2

Force of Nature: The Dry 2

2024

6.5

Movie
poster

Full Frontal

1993

5.5

TV
Funny People

Funny People

2009

5.9

Movie
Great Barrier Reef 3D

Great Barrier Reef 3D

2018

8.0

Movie
Hanna

Hanna

2011

6.6

Movie
Hulk

Hulk

2003

5.6

Movie
poster

Kath & Kim

2002

7.0

TV
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

2017

6.6

Movie
poster

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

1993

7.1

TV
Lone Survivor

Lone Survivor

2013

7.4

Movie
Love the Beast

Love the Beast

2009

6.5

Movie
Lucky You

Lucky You

2007

5.6

Movie
Making Mary and Max

Making Mary and Max

2009

0.0

Movie
Mary and Max

Mary and Max

2009

7.9

Movie
Memoir of a Snail

Memoir of a Snail

2024

7.9

Movie
Munich

Munich

2005

7.2

Movie
Romulus, My Father

Romulus, My Father

2007

5.8

Movie
poster

Rove

1999

8.0

TV
poster

Something in the Air

2000

2.0

TV
Special Correspondents

Special Correspondents

2016

5.8

Movie
Spielberg

Spielberg

2017

7.6

Movie
Star Trek

Star Trek

2009

7.4

Movie
poster

Stop Laughing... this is serious

2015

6.5

TV
Tempest at the Drop-In

Tempest at the Drop-In

2013

0.0

Movie
The Castle

The Castle

1997

7.1

Movie
The Dry

The Dry

2021

6.8

Movie
The Finest Hours

The Finest Hours

2016

6.6

Movie
The Forgiven

The Forgiven

2018

6.2

Movie
poster

The Graham Norton Show

2007

7.2

TV
poster

The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale

2018

6.0

TV
The Nugget

The Nugget

2002

5.8

Movie
The Other Boleyn Girl

The Other Boleyn Girl

2008

6.7

Movie
The Secret Scripture

The Secret Scripture

2017

7.3

Movie
The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife

2009

6.9

Movie
poster

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

1992

5.4

TV
poster

Today

1952

5.5

TV
poster

Top Gear

2002

7.5

TV
Translating History to Screen

Translating History to Screen

2008

3.3

Movie
Troy

Troy

2004

7.2

Movie
poster

UNTAMED

0.0

TV